We've got issues.
So now that Peter Matthiessen has won the National Book Award for Fiction for Shadow Country, will the literary world erupt into a noisy discussion about whether a “reworking” of an older trilogy should really be eligible for the award at all? I admit to a bit of skepticism myself, but the book description on Amazon goes to great pains to suggest it’s a totally different thing (except not): Continue reading
No, it hasn’t been that long since I last saw Frightened Rabbit at Holocene and blogged a little about it; yes, it’s still worth seeing the Rabbit every single time you possibly can. I mean that. Even though it’s taken me a week to say so. Continue reading
I’ve said it before and I’ll no doubt say it again, but this is exactly what YouTube is for: an a cappella tribute to the composer of some of the catchiest themes in film. I am not ashamed to admit that I shed tears of laughter. Continue reading
As promised, here’s Jason Blair’s Q&A with Tift Merritt. A lot has been written about your voice. When were you first aware of your own voice? The first time I remember being aware of my own voice was when I had my first apartment. I would sing all the time and play music in the middle of the night and my neighbors would bang on the wall, telling me to be quiet. And I thought, I didn’t realize I was singing that loud… Continue reading
Goodness. First it’s the Oregon Book Awards, then it’s the Booker Prize. Shortlists for both arrived today; in the words of Bookslut, “Tonight, fans of world literature symbolically lock Salman Rushdie back in a closet and inwardly dread the prospect of working through 5,000 pages of something called ‘The Northern Clemency’.” Continue reading
Blogging as it goes. I’ll try to turn this into something a bit more coherent in the morning! Last season, I loved this show. This season, 24 minutes into the premiere, I’m not impressed. It’s trying too hard to be exciting; it’s gone the predicable place already; it’s become less plausible than ever before. Two humans aren’t going to escape a Terminator. Not without help. I’m already frustrated. And trying to write without spoilers, since I can’t remember how to do a jump at the moment. Continue reading
And now it’s Monday. Isn’t it? I feel a little discombobulated. I’m pretty sure it’s Monday, and I’m tired, and I keep babbling incoherently to anyone who’ll listen about how much fun MFNW was. Seriously. Babble, babble, ramble, meander. Continue reading
So I got a little behind. Forgive me. Let me shift into present tense so I can pretend I’m not writing two days late. Continue reading
Honestly? I didn’t think my first night at MusicfestNW would involve staying out until after one in the morning, allowing my ears to be totally fucking battered, but lo, it did, and it was a little bit awesome. I did stay at Holocene all night, true, but I knew Calendar Editor Chuck Adams was out and about — I’m sure he’ll check in later about Battles and M. Ward — and, well, see, it’s more fun to have someone to talk shit with at shows, and the only other person I knew who’d be out last night was at Holocene. Continue reading